The Trouble With Time
by avalanche9
Summary: This takes place before the Doctor knows who Clara is. I like how Clara seems wary of the Doctor when she first starts traveling with him, she doesn't trust him immediately like other companions. This is just an idea of how their trust and friendship starts to build. It is basically a oneshot discussion between the Doctor and Clara about time.


This might be a bit jumbled, as I prepare for the 50th anniversary episode, i decided to watch some of last seasons episodes. This is just an idea I got from some of the early Doctor/Clara episodes. Hope you enjoy, it is my first oneshot and the first time writing Clara so I hope I got her character at least semi right :)

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The Doctor and Clara sat in companionable silence, both mulling over the day's events. It had involved a kidnapping (Clara), an arm wrestling contest, a purple goose, and a lot of running. The Doctor fiddled with some of the TARDIS controls glancing back and forth between his beloved machine and his quiet companion. He had been very worried about Clara when she was kidnapped. He had resolved it in his usual fashion, but she seemed rather distant since they had gotten back to the TARDIS. Clara was still getting used to his way of life, and though she hid it well, the Doctor knew she had been terrified. She was different from his other companions. Besides the obvious mystery surrounding her, Clara was slightly wary of the Doctor. He had grown used to his companions trusting him almost immediately, few doubting his decisions or instructions. Clara seemed to doubt him all the time. He was glad that doubt had not prevented her from coming with him, she was always good company, but still, the Doctor was dying to know who or what she was.

Clara was seated on one of the stair steps in the blue console room. She was not at all happy about being kidnapped. Though it all had been straightened out in the end, she was still mad. Something about the Doctor made her believe that he would not let anything happen to her, but another part of her couldn't help but mistrust him. She knew he was extremely old, but the amount of secrets he kept had her on edge. The secrets were not what held her back though; it was the fact that _he _simply did not trust _her_. She asked him questions all the time, but he never really gave her a proper response.

She looked over at him from her seat on the stairs. _Lord he looks old_, Clara thought. He had been quiet since their return to the TARDIS, she thought he might be letting her cool down.

He jumped when she said, "can I ask you a question?"

Obviously relieved that she wasn't going to yell at him, the Doctor responded; "you just did." He smiled brightly but at her annoyed look, he dawned a serious expression and continued, "of course you can, anything you want to know, ask away."

Clara laughed at his change in mood, "Are you sure? Almost every time I ask a question you give me some bogus answer then change the subject."

"Ah" the Doctor said, "well, that would be because you, Clara Oswald, you have a nasty habit of asking rather difficult and often personal questions."

"Well then," Clara smiled slyly, "Do you promise to answer me properly if I promise that it isn't one of those difficult _personal_ questions?"

He laughed, "Alright then, I promise."

"I was hoping for that answer." Clara hopped up and moved toward the Doctor. She leaned her back against the console, crossed her arms, and looked him in the eyes. "What I don't understand Doctor, with all this running around we do, why don't you just take the TARDIS into the vortex thingy, take a breather, and form a plan. You never have plans, just making things up as you go. Couldn't you resolve things better by stopping time for a bit? You are a Time Lord after all; can't you just take out a TV remote and pause the universe? Just wondering in case I get kidnapped again, it would be nice to know you have a well thought out means of rescuing me."

The Doctor, surprised at her question, decided to respond honestly, "It doesn't work like that. Once the TARDIS lands, we become a fixed point in that location." He paused and Clara thought he might be finished, but he sighed, and she saw him open up, he was trying to show more trust in her. "You can't just stop time. Time never stops, never pauses, it never waits for you to catch your breath." He started pacing, hands clasped behind his back. "It just keeps going, keeps ticking away so that you never have any _time_. People do so much waiting in life that they forget that time isn't waiting for you, it just keeps on going. We lose precious moments by waiting. We end up not having enough time for the important things, time to be happy, time to grieve… time to say goodbye" he sighed. "That is why it is so important that we live in the now. Time may not stop, it may not wait for us to make decisions, but time is also what we make of it. Use the time you have to its fullest advantage. Don't live your life in hopes and dreams because, believe me Clara, one day you will find that you have run out of time, and you realize that you have missed out in the simplest, most important things life has to offer. That is why, in over a thousand years of time travel, I have finally learned that, even though I have the power to travel _in _time, I truly have no mastery _over_ time. That is the reason I am always moving. Enjoy life while you are living it, don't wait until there is no time left" the Doctor smiled at her, "time waits for no one."

When he looked at her, Clara thought she saw more of the Doctor in that moment than any other time since they met. So much regret and sadness filled those old eyes. She smiled, "thank you."

"For what? Answering a question?" The confused Doctor suddenly looked young again.

"For showing me how to live life to the fullest, taking me on wild adventures, seeing the stars! No regrets right?"

His eyes became old again, "no regrets" the sad smile was back. "Right then," excitement filled his features again, "where to next?"

"Someplace awesome" Clara said happily. He laughed at her answer as he sent the TARDIS whirling. _One step at a time_ Clara thought. She was happy that he was finally opening up to her, if only just a little.


End file.
